BCTC Literary Journal: Bluegrass Accolade

We encourage authors, poets, and artists of diverse backgrounds and interests to submit their work for consideration. Our goal is to support and provide opportunities for the growth of the arts at the college and in the community.

Publication Frequency

• Currently published once a year, in the spring. Submissions accepted during an annual posted review period (usually mid-November through mid-March). Works selected for publication in the current review period will appear in the upcoming spring semester publication.
• Submissions for the 2026 edition are currently being accepted. The deadline is March 9, 2026.

Who Can Submit

• Students
• Faculty
• Staff
• Community

What to Submit

• Submissions are limited to a maximum of five poems, two short stories, or four photographs/photographs of artwork per person in any one review period.
• All submissions must be your own original, unpublished work
• No anonymous submissions will be accepted
• Short stories should be no more than a maximum of 6,000 words in length. Short stories must be submitted electronically via email as a Microsoft Office Word document attachment, double spaced
• Photos can be either photos of an original three dimensional artwork you have created, or the photos themselves can be the art object (i.e., “photographic art”). Both black and white and full color photos will be considered. Photos must be submitted electronically via email as a .jpeg format attachment.
• Poems should be no more than 50 lines in length. Poems must be submitted electronically via email as a Microsoft Office Word document attachment.
• Simultaneous submissions are not accepted. (If you submit a poem, short story or artwork to Bluegrass Accolade, it should not be submitted to another publication at the same time)
• By submitting your work to the Bluegrass Accolade, you have indicated your consent for us to publish that work in our journal, including online. All accepted manuscripts may receive minor proofing including those related to overall presentation, such as any typeface changes or other minor editorial changes.
• Submission email must contain your name, title of works submitted, e-mail address, and a brief "About the Author/Poet/Artist" paragraph (25-100 words) in the body of the e-mail. Include words "Literary Journal" and submission type ("short story," "poetry," or "art") in the subject line of your e-mail. Please do not put contact information on the attachment(s) themselves (poems/short stories, artwork).

Where to Submit

• E-mail your submissions to Maureen Cropper, Managing Editor of the Bluegrass Accolade, at maureen.cropper@kctcs.edu  Submissions will be reviewed in the spring by the Editorial Board.
• Submissions will not be returned, so do not submit your only copy, please. You will be notified only if your work is selected for the spring annual publication.